It is an engaging first quarter for award-winning film-maker, Kunle Afolayan, as he is back on location for another major movie entitled ‘Citation’. Whenever he announces a new work, every ear twists and many eyes salivate based on his pedigree. Since he broke into limelight some 20 years ago, he has continued to set new standards, especially with technical ingenuity and casts as well as locations that cut across national boundaries. He is not doing anything less in ‘Citation’.
For instance, the movie that explores the sex-for-marks question in schools will be shot in Nigeria, Senegal and Cape Verde. It centres on the social decadence in the educational sector, focusing on a female postgraduate student who has to find a way of dealing with the awkward situation of sexual harassment from a lecturer.
Afolayan said, “Citation’ will create awareness on the different forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private sphere. It will educate the society on women’s rights and the ways to enforce these rights for the achievement of equality and tranquillity.
“The movie will encourage and embolden women to stand up against mistreatment and abuse by a patriarchal society. It has also been designed to propel women to aspire to become successful leaders and thereby provide counterexamples to negative gender stereotypes.”
Addressing the media in Lagos on Thursday, Afolayan said his company was set – after pre-production which started in October 2018 – for five weeks of shoot, beginning January 10, 2020 through February 15, 2020 in three countries.
According to him, his company is partnering the Ford Foundation on the project which has been designed to propel women to aspire to become successful leaders by providing counter examples to negative gender stereotypes.
Canon Central and North Africa, he noted, was also coming on board his movie project for the second time in, adding that CITATION would be shot with the new Canon EOS C500 MarK II camera – the first time the camera will be used in Africa.
Other partners include Access Bank, through its W Initiative – Africa’s premier women’s financial programme focusing on inspiring, connecting and empowering women and girls; online travel portal, Flyboku, for flights and related logistics; the Ajike Peoples’ Support Centre, a Non-Governmental Organisation and pet project of Mrs. Olufolake Ajike Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, First Lady of Kwara State; and Ministry of Culture and Creative Industries in Cape Verde, as main sponsors of the country’s locations of the shoot, following a meeting with Minister Abrãao Vicente and other officials during the recce in October last year.
While ‘Citation’ boasts an ensemble of A-list actors of diverse nationalities, as is the character of the film company, one can also underscore it as another launching pad for new actors and resurgence for underrated talents by Golden Effects Pictures, a statement also indicated.
The cast of the movie include veteran Nigerian actress and director, Joke Silvia; Haitian-French actor and model, Jimmy Jean-Louis; delectable Nigerian actress, Ini Edo; UK-based Nigerian fashion and lifestyle blogger, Temi Otedola; notable Nigerian actor, Yomi Fash-Lanso; Ghanaian actor, Adjetey Anang; Nigerian actor and singer, Gabriel Afolayan; man of Ivorian theater, Bienvenu Neba; veteran broadcaster and actor, Sadiq Daba; upcoming Nollywood actress, Bukunmi Oluwashina; French-Ivorian actor and screen writer, Raymond Reboul; theatre educator, Toyin Bifarin; and veteran Nigerian film director and actor, Wole Olowomojuore, aka ‘Baba Gebu’.
Afolayan said he would be surprising fans, as another top personality would soon be unveiled as part of the cast.
On why he is featuring temi Otedola, Afolayan noted, ” Whenever I scroll through her social media pages, I wonder how energetic and enterprising she is. Then, when I saw her on a CNN programme, her talent seeped through and I knew I would like to work with her. Here we are now.”
The pre-production of the movie began in October 2019 in the Island country of Cape Verde.
The storyline is written by Afolayan’s lifelong cinematic collaborator, Tunde Babalola.
After a very promising performance in Tunde Kelani’s ‘Saworoide’, in which he is Prince Aresejabata, Afolayan released his first movie, Irapada (Redemption), which was an instant success. He then followed up with ‘Figurine’ (Araromire) ‘Phone Swap’ ‘October 1’, ‘Roti’, ‘Omugwo’, ‘The Tribunal,’ ‘Hanatu’, T’he CEO,’ and ‘Mokalik.’
